Met Police bust £20 million cocaine scheme hidden in frozen fish, four jailed
Metropolitan Police and partners dismantled a gang that tried to conceal 600 kg of cocaine in frozen fish shipments, sentencing four members to over 70 years in total.
Detectives traced an organised crime network that planned to hide 600 kg of cocaine inside frozen fish imports from South America, valuing the cargo at over £20 million. Encrypted messages on EncroChat revealed the gang's logistics, including a legitimate fish business at London's Billingsgate Market and contacts in Ecuador. Joint efforts by the Metropolitan Police, the National Crime Agency and Spanish National Police led to arrests in Alicante and Ibiza, and the seizure of cash and mobile phones.
At Woolwich Crown Court, Samuel Tokeley received 22 years, Scott Richards 14½ years, Scott Unwin 13 years and Nicholas Shilling 22 years, totaling more than 70 years of imprisonment. Detective Chief Inspector Dean Grafton said the case exposed an industrial-scale operation that tried to mask illicit activity behind everyday commerce. The convictions highlight the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation in dismantling sophisticated drug-trafficking networks.
Why it matters
The case shows how international cooperation can disrupt large-scale drug trafficking that hides illicit goods in ordinary commerce.
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